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Palak Paneer
IndiaAI Chef · Cookbook4all Team

Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is one of those northern Indian dishes that tastes like home: silky spinach, soft paneer cheese, and a simple tadka that wakes up everything with cumin, garlic, and ginger. In my kitchen, the key is to respect the order of the spices: first the whole ones in hot fat, then the aromatics, and finally the ground ones so they don’t become bitter. This version works because it blanches the spinach just enough to keep color and freshness, lightly browns the paneer for character, and finishes with cream and dried fenugreek for a well-rounded, familiar, and generous sauce.

ByChef Priya🇮🇳 IN · India
Shared by The kitchen of Chef Priya with the community.Ready to cook, save, and share from your family cookbook.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Yield

4 servings

Origin

IN · India

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Ingredients

Adjust diners to recalculate quantities.
  • Spinach· washed and with no thick stems500 g
  • paneer· cut into 2 cm cubes250 g
  • Purified water· for blanching and lightening the sauce1000 ml
  • Salt· divided1 tsp
  • ghee· divided2 tbsp
  • Whole cumin seeds· whole1 tsp
  • White onion· medium, finely chopped1 piece
  • Garlic· finely chopped3 clove
  • Ginger· grated15 g
  • green chili· chopped, seeded if you prefer it mild1 piece
  • ripe Roma tomato· ripe, chopped2 piece
  • Ground turmeric0.25 tsp
  • Garam masala1 tsp
  • dried fenugreek leaves· kasuri methi, slightly crushed1 tsp
  • Mexican cream· whole or for cooking60 ml

Method

  1. 01

    Boil water at 100°C in a medium pot with 0.5 tsp of salt. Add the spinach and blanch for 2 minutes, just until it turns bright green and flexible.

  2. 02

    Drain the spinach and reserve 120 ml of the cooking water. Let the spinach cool for 3 minutes and blend it with 60 ml of that water for 45 seconds, until smooth.

  3. 03

    Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a large pan over medium-high heat, about 180°C. Add the paneer and brown it for 2 to 3 minutes, gently turning it until it has golden edges; remove it to a plate.

  4. 04

    Lower to medium heat and add the remaining ghee. First, add the cumin seeds and fry them for 30 seconds, until fragrant and popping without burning.

  5. 05

    Incorporate the white onion and cook for 6 minutes, stirring often, until it looks translucent with golden edges. Add the garlic, fresh ginger, and green chili; sauté for 1 minute, until aromatic.

  6. 06

    Add the tomato, ground turmeric, and the remaining salt. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat, mashing the tomato a bit, until the mixture thickens and the ghee begins to separate at the edges.

  7. 07

    Lower the heat to keep the sauce around 90°C. Stir in the spinach puree and the remaining 60 ml of reserved water; cook for 5 minutes until the sauce looks shiny and lightly coats the spoon.

  8. 08

    Add the garam masala and the dried fenugreek crushed between your palms. Mix for 30 seconds to infuse without losing freshness.

  9. 09

    Return the paneer to the pan, pour in the cream, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over low heat, without boiling hard, until the paneer is heated through and the sauce is creamy. Serve immediately.

Chef tips

  • If you can't find paneer, use firm drained panela cheese; brown it gently because it's more delicate.
  • For a lighter vegetarian version, swap the cream for thick natural yogurt and add it over very low heat so it doesn’t curdle.
  • Don’t overcook the spinach: if it turns dull before blending, the sauce will be less green and have a more earthy flavor.
  • Keep the palak paneer in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat over low heat with a splash of water to recover the texture.

Classifications

Indiaeverydaydinnerall year

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